Stabilizer for a floating dock



W. L. KOCH STABILIZER FOR A FLOATING DOCK May 5, 1964 ATTORNEY @www YMay 5, 1964 w. L. KOCH 3,131,542

STABILIZER FOR A FLOATING DOCK 'Il I BW l. J v

ATTORNE Y United States Patent O 3,131,542 STABEZER EDR A FLQA'IlNG DOCKWilliam L. Koch, San Francisco, Calif., assignor to H. Koch Sons, CorteMadera, Calif., a corporation of Salifornia Filed Nov. 14, 1969, Ser.No. 58,905 2 Claims. (Cl. 61-48) This invention refers to a stabilizerfor a floating dock and the like.

A particular object of this invention is to provide a stabilizer for afloating dock which can maintain an elongated floating structure in alocation or position yet permit the structure to rise and lower with thetides and waves.

Particularly it is an object of this invention to provide a submergedstabilizer for a floating dock of the type constructed of spaced iioatsand spacer plates connected into a continuous floating deck, wherebythis submerged stabilizer can hold the iioat in a location yet permit itto raise or lower with the water level.

I am aware that some changes may be made in the general arrangements andcombinations of the several devices and parts, as well -as in thefdetails of the construction thereof 'without departing from the scopeof the present invention as set forth in the following specication, andas defined in the following claims; hence I do not limit my invention tothe exact arrangements and combinations of the said 'device and parts asdescribed in the said specification, nor do I confine myself to the eX-act details of the construction of the said parts as illustrated in theaccompanying drawings.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be mademanifest in the following detailed description, reference is had to theaccompanying drawings for the illustrative embodiment of the invention,wherein:

FIG. -l is a fragmental cross-sectional View of the stabilizers anchoredin the bottom of the body of water holding the lloating structure inposition.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of one of the stabilizerstructures taken on the lines 2-2 of lFIG. l.

FIG. `3` is a top plan fview of the floating structure, the deck beingpartly broken away, showing the relative location of the stabilizers.

FIG. 4 is a fragmental bottom view illustrating the mounting of the topof the stabilizer `on the oating structure.

FIG. 5 is a fragmental sectional view of the mounting of the stabilizer,the section being taken substantially on lines 5--5 of FIG. 4.

rfhis floating structure, as herein illustrated, is made of a plunalityof fiberglass floats 1 which are made of hollow waterproof fiberglassplastic shells completely enclosed so that the top pates 2 of the floats1 form part of the walk or deck of the structure. The floats 1 arespaced by suitable spacer plates 3 between them and `are securedtogether and held by a suitable frame of longitudinal stringers 4 andcross-stringers 5, illustrated `diagrammatically in FIGS. 1 .and 3, tohold the structure together.

This floating structure may be made in any suitable size, shape,dimension or such strips in any overall arrangement to form a suitabledeck.

The anchoring `of such structures in such a manner to hold them more orless accurately in location is of importance because they may be used aspart of other structures where the constant spacing is 'of importance.

For this purpose the stabilizer means of the present illustrationinclude a ballast base 6 which is suitably anchored or secured in thebottom 7 of the water body 8 on the surface 9 of which the oatingstructure floats. Inside of this `anchored ballast 6 is telescopinglyguided a hollow lvertical tubular leg 11. The top of the leg 11 is3,131,542 Patented May 5, 1964 provided with a head flange 12 which isthen secured by suitable bolts 13 to la head plate 14. This head plate14 is suitably secured in turn to cross bars 16 which latter in turnhave their ends suitably secured, for instance by screws, to the framebars 4 and 5 of the oating structure.

In the present illustration the ballast 6 is a pipe 17, the lower end oflwhich is closed preferably by a frusto-conical tip `18 so that it maybe driven considerably below the mud level of the bottom '7. The upperportion of this pipe 17 projects -at a suitable distance above thebottom 7 so as to prevent interference by the mud with the relativemovement of the parts. On this upper end of the pipe 17 is suitablyiixed a rubber disc 19 the inner diameter of which fits tightly aroundthe outer circumference of the telescopic tube 11 so as to wipe thelatter during its reciprocation and thereby to reduce the possibility ofits sticking in the pipe 17.

The top lof the tube 11 is open and the head plate 14 has a central hole21 uncovered so as to provide a vent through which air can escape as thetube 11 telescopes into and out of the pipe 17. This hole 21 is spacedbelow the -deck plate 3 so as to provide suiiicient space for ventlng.

The stabilizers are spaced apart at suitable distances and it is notnecessary to have the stabilizers close together because they do notcontribute to the support of the structure but only for stabilizing thesame in a location and to limit the movement or displacement of saidfloat-ing structure only to vertical directions, and prevent lateralydisplacement or floating away in either direction.

I claim:

1. In combination with a iloating deck on a body of water includingspaced floats and `deck plate elements connecting said spaced lioats toform a continuous deck, a stabilizer structure comprising (a) spacedanchor elements lixedly secured to the bottom of said body of Water (b)a tubular element telescopingly supported on each anchor element (c)means on each tubular element securing the top of each tubular elementto said floating deck between a pair of adjacent lloats (d) said tubularelement being open at its top and bottom for freely Venting said tubularelement during reciprocation (e) said anchor element consisting of atube driven in the bottom of said body of water (i) said tubular elementtelcoping inside said tube (g) said securing means including a securingllange on the top of the tubular element (h) and a headplate secured tothe underside of a deck lplate Iand having a venthole registering withthe top of said tubular element (i) said flange being secured to saidheadplate.

2. The invention dened in claim 1, and

(j) a wiper flange secured to the top of each tube 'and surrounding thetubular element therein with suicient tightness to wipe the same duringits reciprocation in opposite directions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A FLOATING DECK ON A BODY OF WATER INCLUDINGSPACED FLOATS AND DECK PLATE ELEMENTS CONNECTING SAID SPACED FLOATS TOFORM A CONTINUOUS DECK, A STABILIZER STRUCTURE COMPRISING (A) SPACEDANCHOR ELEMENTS FIXEDLY SECURED TO THE BOTTOM OF SAID BODY OF WATER (B)A TUBULAR ELEMENT TELESCOPINGLY SUPPORTED ON EACH ANCHOR ELEMENT (C)MEANS ON EACH TUBULAR ELEMENT SECURING THE TOP OF EACH TUBULAR ELEMENTTO SAID FLOATING DECK BETWEEN A PAIR OF ADJACENT FLOATS (D) SAID TUBULARELEMENT BEING OPEN AT ITS TOP AND BOTTOM FOR FREELY VENTING SAID TUBULARELEMENT DURING RECIPROCATION (E) SAID ANCHOR ELEMENT CONSISTING OF ATUBE DRIVEN IN THE BOTTOM OF SAID BODY OF WATER (F) SAID TUBULAR ELEMENTTELESCOPING INSIDE SAID TUBE (G) SAID SECURING MEANS INCLUDING ASECURING FLANGE ON THE TOP OF THE TUBULAR ELEMENT (H) AND A HEADPLATESECURED TO THE UNDERSIDE OF A DECK PLATE AND HAVING A VENTHOLEREGISTERING WITH THE TOP OF SAID TUBULAR ELEMENT (I) SAID FLANGE BEINGSECURED TO SAID HEADPLATE.